Factual error: When Cattleya escapes through the sewer drain and winds up in front of the U.S. Embassy, she uncovers the manhole all by herself. Impossible for such a young child to do.
Factual error: When Bishop and McKenna are discussing how to kill the preacher, Bishop states that epinephrine and adrenalin are a lethal combination; they are actually two different names for the same thing.
Factual error: Winter in Antarctica would not have a night and day as portrayed, with the amount of light changing so much during the course of 24 hours.
Factual error: Erik arrives in Argentina at a place called Villa Gesell, shown to be a town in middle of mountains. Villa Gesell is a beach town on the Atlantic Ocean coast, with no mountains.
Factual error: When the action moves to England after the failed award ceremony, the British Union Flag hanging from the wall is upside down. The broad white band should be at the top left (nearest the top of the flag pole).
Factual error: When Nate dies by the alien moon rocks, his helmet visor "explodes." The visor in the film shatters like glass, but the real visors on actual spacesuits are made of polycarbonate, a plastic that does not shatter but deforms.
Factual error: In the scene straight after the opening credits we are taken to Baker Street where construction work is being done. This work is identified by a sign with a logo as being for the underground line. The logo type face was developed by a Mr. Edward Johnston for London Underground from 1913 but the distinctive typeface used in the film was not in place until 1919. This is obviously long after the 1891 setting of the film.
Factual error: When a global map is shown, the location of Toronto is incorrect. What is labelled as Toronto is actually the location of Montreal. (01:08:05)
Factual error: In the scene where Olivia's body is being removed from her home. Olivia was covered in blood, yet the sheet covering her has blood only in her chest area. The sheet would have had way more blood on it. Also, I'm an EMT, sheets are not used on victims that are dead. A body bag that zips closed and is made of rip proof plastic is used to transport deceased victims (especially if they are as bloody as Olivia was supposed to be). White sheets on a corpse are only seen in the morgue. (00:40:00)
Factual error: When the bus slams into Brian's car at the start, Brian's car doesn't move an inch. Given the speed and weight of the bus, Brian's car should have been shunted a good distance. (00:01:45)
Factual error: When Amber Heard dives out of the caravan onto Nicolas Cage's car, the bad guy fires his 6 shot revolver at her at least 9 times.
Factual error: George Smiley stays in a hotel near Liverpool St Station, London to investigate the spy at the heart of the circus. There is one scene where we see, from above, a train leaving the station. Liverpool St station is electrified using overhead wires - the train is leaving a station using a different electrification system called 3rd rail which has never existed at Liverpool St.
Factual error: In the opening scene in Mexico, there is a Pontiac Fiero in the background. Fieros weren't built until 1984, and the movie takes place in 1980.
Factual error: Upon hearing that the bombs will drop in 3 hours time on Santa Monica, one marine sets the countdown timer on his watch for 3 hours and starts it. The watch is a Casio G-shock GW-9000 Mudman. This particular watch only has a 1-hour countdown timer. (00:24:15)
Factual error: The Song "Looking for the Magic" by the Dwight Twilley Band plays on repeat several times throughout the movie, however it comes up as track 1 on the CD player each time."Looking for the Magic" was never the first track on a Dwight Twilley CD - It was track 2 on the group's 'Twilley Don't Mind' album released in 1977. You can tell the disc is not a homemade mix CD by the printing on the top of the CD the first time it is placed in the tray.
Factual error: In the scenes of Ian Fleming in the Naval Intelligence HQ, there is a map of Scandinavia on the wall. The map already has the post-war borders of Finland on it.
Factual error: Several uniform items on USAF Captain Colleen Goodwin are incorrect. She is missing several ribbons and then ones she does have are out of order. A USAF Capt would have a Basic Military Training ribbon and (probably) at least one Good Conduct ribbon and one Longevity ribbon. It is also unlikely that she has enough time in service to be wearing the Kuwait Liberation Medal ribbons. The ribbons she is wearing are out of order. The correct order is from top left: Air Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM), Organizational Excellence Award, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Emerate of Kuwait). (In the movie, Capt Goodwin is wearing from top left: Org Excellence, Air Medal, JSAM, KLM-SA, KLM-Kuwait). The blue name tag is not worn on the USAF service coat. It should be nickel plated with a matte finish.
Factual error: At the end of the film the apes/monkeys are seen jumping clean through the EXTERIOR windows of a downtown high-rise. I know apes/monkeys are a bit stronger than humans, but this is still is highly unlikely and would not happen so easily. The exterior windows (those from floor to ceiling, or those that replace traditional exterior walls) would be triple plated, like that of a bank partition (think of 3 car windshields glued together) One would have to repeatedly bang on it with a sledgehammer before it would even crack, let along jump clean through. However, jumping through the INTERIOR windows and doors are completely realistic since those would only be double plated.
Factual error: Near the end of the movie, when they go to steal the boat, there is a Puerto Rican flag in the front of the boat. This flag has the royal blue triangle, instead of the light blue that would have been in the 1960's such as all the other big flags used on poles.
Factual error: In the scene where Nathan and Lily's location is tracked online when chatting, it's evening in the USA and already dark sometime before dinner - yet the tracker calls his boss in London, England and it's daylight. Time-wise this is not possible.